Popular poet Gaddar addressing meeting on Muslim issues in
Hyderabad on 20 September 2004

Muslim Growth rate less than Hindus
Lucknow: After initial confusion in the wake of 2001 census report on population among religious communities, it is now clear that overall growth rate among Muslims has declined from 36.3% in 1991 to 31.3% in 2001 while among Hindus population marginally increased from 23.2% in 1991 to 24.5% in 2001. A senior census official said that the decline in the growth rate of Muslim population indicates that it would decrease further by the next census. According to Dr Mohammad Muzammil, Head of the Population Research Center at the Department of Economics, Lucknow University, the decline was because of three major factors, economic development, education, especially of women and increased medical facilities.

AP Muslims more literate than Hindus
Hyderabad: A surprising feature of religion-wise analysis of 2001 census of Andhra Pradesh is that literacy rate among Muslims is higher than that of Hindus. The analysis shows that literacy rate among Muslims is 70 percent, Hindus 60 percent, Jains 93 percent. Female literacy among Muslim women is 59 percent whereas among Hindu women it is only 49 percent.

Upgradation of Urdu Council's website
New Delhi: Dr Hamidullah Bhat director of National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language laid emphasis on upgradation of Council's website which is very popular at international level. Addressing an experts committee meeting he said that the Council's website www.urducouncil.visin is fast becoming very popular in Europe, America and many other countries and on an average more than 600 persons visit it daily. In view of growing popularity it needs to be upgraded so as to include Urdu dictionary, selected poems and ghazals, career and employment guidance, Urdu centres — in fact complete representation of Urdu language, literature and culture, he said. Some experts also suggested to equip it with beautiful graphics so as to make it more attractive.

Hamdard PUBLIC SCHOOL
New Delhi : Hamdard Public School in Sangam Vihar is undoubtedly the best school among minority educational institutions from the points of view of educational standard and training, discipline, campus arrangement, style of architecture, class rooms, hostel, cleanliness, facilities for students. This was stated by Delhi's education minister, Arvinder Singh Lovely who visited this school as well as other educational and welfare institutions set up by late Hakim Abdul Hameed. He was speaking at a function organised to celebrate the birth anniversary of Hakim Abdul Hameed who also founded Hamdard Dawakana.

Loves her, not her unborn baby
Mumbai: A soldier of Indian Army, Mohd. Arif of Meerut, had left his bride, Gudiya, and other family members to join the Kargil Operations five years ago. Found missing during the operation he was, initially, declared an absconder. Meanwhile, Gudiya's parents and the Panchayat married her off to Tofiq of Gurgaon area. All things seemed to be normal till last month when Arif’s family was informed that he was incarcerated in a Pakistan jail and would return to his home soon. People started discussing Gudiya's fate who was then eight months pregnant after her second marriage with
Toufiq.

According to the Panchayet and clerics, Gudiya could no longer live with her second husband because the second marriage was 'illegal' as Arif had not divorced her. Reports say that Gudiya and Arif were left alone in a room for two hours to take a decision freely.

They wanted to settle together but could not decide who would take care of the unborn baby. However, after an unnecessary media hype over the issue, they succeeded to settle it in accordance with the Shariah rules. Now Arif has offered to raise the child for couple of years and Taufiq is free to take the child back to his home whenever he would like to.

Muslim family converts to Hinduism
Lucknow: A property dispute drove a Muslim family of 11 members to embrace Hinduism in a village of Allahabad district.
According to Mohammad Hasan (now Ram Chandra), a Muslim family in his village was tormenting him over a property dispute. He sought help from Muslims but no one helped. But his Hindu friends and neighbours helped and protected his family. Disgusted and disappointed with the attitude of his community, his family decided to convert to Hinduism without any compulsion . His wife Akhtari Begum now Sita Devi, his four sons, two daughters-in-law and three grand children have changed their names.

UMI observes Hindi Day
New Delhi : United Muslim of India celebrated Hindi Day on 21 September and organised a discussion. Maulana Mohd Furqan Qasmi in his presidential speech said that Hindi used in official communications is difficult because it is Sanskrit oriented which needs to be made easy. Comrade V.Kumar said that the common language of the people in India is Hindustani written in Persian and Devnagri scripts known as Urdu and Hindi. He added that Muslims in northern India have accepted Hindi and even religious books are being written and translated in Hindi.

Road named after Gauhar Usmani
Muradabad : The municipal corporation of Muradabad has attributed Nai Basti Road to the name of Gauhar Usmani, the late prominent Urdu poet, conceding the demand made by Jigar Muradabadi Foundation and Diya Jan Kalliyan Samiti. On the occasion of Chehlam Fatiha at his residence on 11September 2004 a Mahfil of Qur'an Khuwani and Zikr-e-Seerat had been arranged. A stone bearing his name over it was set up on Nai Basti Road the very day the chehlam had been celebrated. All the participants of the ritual, who belonged to various sects offered prayers for his salvation and prosperity in the life Hereafter.

IT series book in Urdu released
Aligarh: National Institute of Science Communication of Information Resources (SCIR) has compiled and prepared IT serious books in Urdu which were recently released by Dr Parvez Ahmad of Aligarh Net. According to a press release by the University, Director of Academic Staff College, Prof A.R. Kidwai said that in this age of information revolution, no one can work without the knowledge of computer and added that the IT series books in Urdu will certainly add to the knowledge of Urdu-knowing people and help in the acquisition of basic education. He further said that converting modern work in Urdu is a great and useful work and the work done by this Institute is really praiseworthy.

Ten member of AMU Court selected
Aligarh : Following ten persons who are included in the category of donors, have been selected as members of Aligarh Muslim University Court. They are Ahmad Rasheed Sherwani, Khurshid Ahmad Khan, S.M. Raza Ali Khan, M.M. Baig, Khwaja Mohd Haleem, Shabana Nizam, Dr Merajuddin Ahmad, Zafaryab Jilani, Ahmad Umar Farooq and Sarwar Husain Khan. Results were declared by chief election officer, Prof Rahimulla Khan. There were 26 candidates for this selection. «